Isa Guha believes Heather Knight’s England can complete a remarkable turnaround to win the Women’s Ashes but feels the series has already proven to be a “seminal moment” for the sport.
England were 6-0 down in the multi-format series after narrow defeats in the one-off Test and the opening T20 at Edgbaston last month, but have hit back to win the next three matches to level up the scores and victories in the final two ODIs over the next week will see them reclaim the urn.
Sage ambassador Guha has been across the action as part of both Sky Sports and BBC’s coverage and agrees with England bowler Kate Cross that the aura of world champions Australia has slowly been chipped away.
She told the PA news agency: “For me I always believed they could beat Australia, but it was a question of whether they did. Then there is one thing believing it and another thing actually doing it.
“There were so many times on that last Ashes tour where they would get themselves into positions to win and almost psychologically break down and not believe they could really get over the line against Australia.
“Something I heard from Kate Cross was they have taken away the Australians aura and that is what has allowed them to win these games.
“That ruthlessness to have the composure in the big moments is what had been lacking, but now they have won games it will unlock their potential even more, so that is what makes it even more exciting.”
Each match of the series has provided twists and turns with different starring roles – Tammy Beaumont hitting 208 in the Test at Trent Bridge while Sophie Ecclestone claimed a 10-wicket haul.
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Since the format switched to white-ball cricket, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt, Alice Capsey and Knight have all had key contributions and in doing so further cemented their place as role models for the next generation.
Ex-seamer Guha – involved in three successful Ashes series as a player – feels the impact of this summer’s battle will be significant regardless of the results in the final two ODIs at the Ageas Bowl (Sunday) and Taunton (Tuesday).
“I always knew it could be,” Guha reflected when asked if she anticipated such a thrilling series.
“There was always a feeling it could be possible, but it is mad.
“I remember being part of the 2005 Ashes and we were spurring each other on. People didn’t really know we were playing back then so that is probably the difference to now but there is something in the air. It feels a really seminal moment for our sport.
“I think women’s cricket is only going in one way. It is the fastest growing area of our sport and to see that investment paying off, that makes us all feel good about the bigger picture of women’s cricket at the top level.
“There is still a lot more to be done at grassroots level and in the pathways, but certainly the inspiration that is coming out of this whole series is incredible.
“To have a team that is competing with arguably the greatest team that has ever been, yeah that is enough to get excited about. Whatever the result, it has certainly been a win for the sport.”
Both the women’s and men’s Ashes are being played against the backdrop of cricket’s struggle to rid the game of discrimination.
The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report published last month identified ingrained racism, sexism and classism within the sport in England and Wales, with among its key recommendations that there be immediate equality in men’s and women’s international match fees.
Guha highlighted the viewing figures when reflecting on the need for equal pay.
She added: “The numbers are there for everyone to see as well.
“This is one I thought was really amazing. On Sky 965,000 watched England beat Australia over four days in the third men’s Test at Headingley, so that is a daily figure while 795,000 watched Heather Knight’s side win (the T20) on Saturday night.
“If there is any evidence the girls need to be paid more, there you go.
“The argument that always comes around is how many eyeballs they get and that is the perfect example of how women’s cricket is being captured. It has captured the imagination of the population.”
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Bolt joined by multiple sports stars for first look at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt got a first look at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium from the best seats in the house, along with cricket legends and New York sports icons.
The Jamaican sprint legend was joined in this special preview by USA cricketers Corey Anderson and Monak Patel along with cricket legend Sir Curtly Ambrose (West Indies), Shoaib Malik (Pakistan), and Liam Plunkett (England). Also present during this landmark event was a star-studded line-up of New York sports stars, including John Starks (NBA / New York Knicks), Elena Delle Donne (WNBA/USA), Bartolo Colon (MLB/New York Yankees-Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), and Ibtihaj Muhammad (Fencing/USA).
To commemorate the occasion, the stars all signed a giant cricket bat, which will be present at the venue for all eight ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 matches hosted there between June 3-12. The event marks the official final countdown to the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in New York, with Sri Lanka and South Africa set to clash in the venue's first match on June 3.
Bolt was confident the venue would provide an exciting and energetic cricket experience.
“Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, I’m very excited to be part of the T20 World Cup coming to the USA for the first time, co-hosting with the West Indies. Getting one of the sport’s biggest events into the USA is a big milestone and can provide a launching pad leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028," he said.
“The new stadium is going to be a fantastic place to watch from. It’s very enclosed and you feel very close to the action. I can imagine it will be full of energy when cricket fans get to Nassau County International Stadium next month," Bolt noted.
Brett Jones, CEO of T20 USA Inc. called the event a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA.
“Today was a fantastic celebration, showcasing a truly out of this world stadium. Having Usain and a host of New York sports stars and Olympic legends to experience it was fantastic and a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA," Jones said.
“Having Curtly Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson and Monak Patel here and seeing their response to the stadium and the playing surface was also pretty special. It gives us a real sense of what the fans can expect next month," he added.
The 34,000-seater temporary stadium is the first of its kind in international cricket, and is also believed to be the largest ever constructed in the United States.
Featured at the unveiling were extensive hospitality and media pavilions on the north and south ends of the venue, which join the east and west general admission stands. Among the new additions are the Cabana seats in the North pavilion along with the Corner Club seats with a private party area.
The stadium is one of the three venues in the USA for the upcoming mega-event. Florida and Texas will also host matches from the event.
The USA are co-hosts for the event alongside the West Indies, where 39 matches will be played across six venues. The Final will be held on 29 June in Barbados.
No spark from Rovman Powell as Curran pilots Punjab Kings over Rajasthan Royals
Sam Curran starred as Punjab Kings moved off the bottom of the Indian Premier League table with a five-wicket victory over second-place Rajasthan Royals.
The Kings successfully chased a target of 145 as Curran finished with an unbeaten 63, including two maximums in the final four balls, to get them over the finish line.
The Royals struggled to find their rhythm until Riyan Parag (48) and Ravichandran Ashwin (28) stepped up to drag them into contention, but the Kings stifled their recovery near the end of the first innings. West Indies captain Rovman Powell (four) was among those that failed to spark at the backend of the Royals innings.
Curran (2-24), Harshal Patel (2-28) and Rahul Chahar (2-26) all played a part in limiting RR to 144-9, though the Kings then looked like they might fall short in the chase.
Sam Curran starred for Punjab Kings.
Punjab captain Curran carried them forward after a slow start, and though Jitesh Sharma was caught for 22 to offer the Royals hope in the 16th over, impact player Ashutosh Sharma contributed an unbeaten 17 in support of Curran, whose big hitting got the job done with an over remaining.
Data Debrief: Patel comes up clutch
Having posted figures of 2-28 on Wednesday, Patel now has 63 wickets in the death overs (16th-20th) in the IPL, the outright fifth-most wickets in this phase in competition history after Dwayne Bravo (102), Lasith Malinga (90), Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (85) and Jasprit Bumrah (80).
His late dismissals of Parag and Donovan Ferreira kept the Royals' score down, then Curran's joint-highest IPL knock ensured the Kings registered a fourth consecutive away victory.
Pooran's blistering 61 not enough as Shai Hope's Capitals edge LSG by 19 runs to keep slim play-off hopes alive
Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants to boost their hopes of making the Indian Premier League play-offs.
The Capitals claimed a 19-run victory on Tuesday, with Abishek Porel (58) and Tristan Stubbs (57 not out) starring.
Their efforts propelled Delhi to 208-4 from their 20 overs, with Shai Hope (38) and Rishabh Pant (33) chipping in with useful contributions as LSG's bowling attack struggled badly. Hope faced 27 balls and had three fours and two sixes in his knock.
Nicholas Pooran top-scored with a 27-ball 61 in Lucknow's chase, while Arshad Khan plundered an unbeaten 58, yet it was not enough, with the Super Giants only able to reach 189-9 in response. Pooran's knock included six fours and four maximums, while Khan had three fours and five sixes in his 33-ball knock.
Shai Hope found his range after a quiet start.
Ishant Sharma, with 3-34, was the pick of the Capitals' bowlers, as they must now wait and see if Chennai Super Kings or Sunrisers Hyderabad slip up enough to send Delhi into the top four.
LSG are down in seventh, and they must beat Mumbai Indians heavily in their last match to stand any chance of making the play-offs.
Data Debrief: Ishant hits double figures... again
Introduced as the impact player, Ishant fulfilled his duty with three swift wickets inside his first three overs, with Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul and Deepak Hood all taken out.
Ishant has now taken 10 wickets this season, and is onto 93 across his entire IPL career. It is the sixth season Ishant has reached double figures for wickets, and his second in a row.
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